Impact and adaptation of reproductive training during COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia

• Main Authors: Abu, M.A (Author), Ahmad, M.F (Author), Jin, N.M (Author), Karim, A.K.A (Author), Suharjono, H.N (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia 2021
• Series: Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences
• Subjects: antiretroviral therapy; Article; chemotherapy; coronavirus disease 2019; COVID-19; embryo transfer; follow up; health care personnel; health service; human; in vitro fertilization; intracytoplasmic sperm injection; intrauterine insemination; Malaysia; medical service; oocyte retrieval; ovary cycle; ovary follicle fluid; pandemic; Pandemic; protective glasses; public health; quarantine; reproduction; Reproductive medicine; seminal plasma; social distancing; socioeconomics; teleconsultation; training; Training; Women’s health
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher; View in Scopus
• ISBN: 1394195X (ISSN)
• DOI: 10.21315/mjms2021.28.5.3

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the community at large. It has affected almost everyone and every aspect of social, economic and educational activities. Training in reproductive medicine has not been spared, as training in this field requires a combination of clinical interaction with patients, procedural experience, constant discussions and the element of research. The changes to numbers of new infections or active cases dictate the restrictions placed on the community and health care services alike. At the beginning of the pandemic, both the patients’ fear of going to a health care facility and movement restrictions had caused a significant reduction in the number of COVID-19 cases. Furthermore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia’s recommendation to withhold all non-essential medical services, including those related to reproductive medicine, falls under this category. Therefore, it could negatively impact the quality of training and lead to an extension of training duration in reproductive medicine. Thus, the procedural experience could be supplemented with simulator training, teleconsultation could replace standard clinic sessions and online meeting platforms could replace routine academic meetings. Any modifications must be adaptable or flexible, as similar infectious pandemics and restrictions could recur from time to time. © 2021, Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia. All rights reserved.